Alexandra Dursley {Golden Trio}

Chapter 111 - Scrimgeour's Surprise

 The room was completely silent, everybody holding their breath. "So what if he is?" Al asked venomously, daring him to make another comment.

 "Oh, I didn't mean any offence," Scrimgeour said. "No, nothing of the sort-" he stopped, peering over Al's shoulder, "Young man, what are you doing under the table?" Al realised with a jolt that by standing up she had revealed Harry's hiding space. And then with another jolt that that had been Scrimgeour's plan all along. And it was evident by the smug look on his face.

 "I-uh...I dropped my knife," Harry said feebly, climbing out from under the table.

 "And your fork, plate and glass?" Scrimgeour said, looking amused. "No matter, perhaps you could accompany me on a walk around the yard? I don't want to intrude on a family reunion."

 Harry put his things back down on the table and turned to face him. "Yeah, that's fine," he said, clearly seeing straight through Scrimgeour. "It's fine," he said to Remus and Al, when he had risen from his chair and she grabbed his wrist. "Fine," he added to Mr Weasley as he passed and Mr Weasley opened his mouth to object.

 Everyone stared coldly at Percy, who stood with his cloak on in the doorway. "Would you like some dinner, Percy?" Mrs Weasley offered, indicating Harry's vacant chair.

 "No thank you, Mother," Percy said sourly, and with great difficulty.

 There was more silence, only broken by George. "Bet you feel like a bit of a git," he said. Al glanced around and saw six cold expressions of anger from the Weasley children and Mr Weasley, and a Mrs Weasley who looked torn between laughing, shouting, and crying. Al, Fleur, and Remus all looked at each other before collectively sipping their mead, not particularly fond of the awkwardness and feeling like intruders on a private moment.

 "Now, really, George!" Mrs Weasley scolded, before turning back to Percy. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some mead, dear?"

 "I'm quite alright," Percy responded coolly.

 "C'mon, Perce," Bill encouraged, "It's Christmas!"

 "I'm on duty," Percy said.

 "I'm surprised Scrimgeour kept you on," Ginny said suddenly from next to Bill, "Thought he had more sense than Fudge."

 Percy's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet but he seemed to gain some form of control. "I'm sorry to see that you're going the same way as the rest of this family, Ginevra." There was a sudden roar of fury as Fred, George, and Ginny all lunged forward and splattered Percy with mashed parsnip as Mrs Weasley burst into tears.

 Percy practically flew from the room and Al stood up again, grabbed the last bottle of mead, two glasses, and a pile of spare napkins as she strode around the table. She placed a firm arm around Mrs Weasley's shoulders and guided her out and into the living room. Ginny, Bill, and Ron all tried to follow them in, but she round to them firmly. "No," she said, "Let your Ma calm down at bit first. She won't want you to see her like this."

 Ron and Ginny made to protest but Bill placed his hands on their shoulders and sighed. "Al's right, come on you two." Before he went back to the kitchen he turned back and mouthed a 'thank you', clearly relieved that he didn't have to do it.

 Al turned back to Mrs Weasley and settled her down on the sofa, handing her a napkin and watching concerned as she sobbed into it. "I'm sorry," she said helplessly as she threw her hands into her lap.

 "Don't apologise," Al said gently, "It's not your fault."

 "I haven't done anything!" Mrs Weasley cried, accepting the glass of mead but leaving it untouched. "My own child won't see me and I don't know what I've done!"

 "Sometimes these things happen," Al said in what she hoped was a soothing tone. "And there's nothing you can do except what you did today. You just need to keep showing him that you're there for him and be patient." She thought with a horrible pang of what her relationship with Harry had been like before the tournament.

 "I know," Mrs Weasley said sadly, taking a sip of mead, "But I want to be doing something. What if something happens to him? With this war..."

 "It won't," Al said firmly, "Percy is very capable - he wouldn't have been head boy otherwise. And if it does, maybe he'll realise how much he misses you."

 "But he doesn't miss me," Mrs Weasley said, "There are children who don't have families - Harry lost his own parents - and Percy would rather have no family than see me!"

 Al sighed and put her glass down. "C'mere," she said opening her arms up and pulling Mrs Weasley into a hug. "This isn't your fault, an there's nothing you can do to change that. You just need to be patient and have faith that he'll come back."

 "Thank you, Al," Mrs Weasley said fondly, "Shall we let the others in?" She mustered up a small smile, and patted Al's shoulder.

 "I think so," Al said quietly, before opening the door and seeing the hallway crowded with people, Fred, George, Ginny and Ron clearly having had their ear pressed against the door.